Kyrgyz presidential election, 2005

Kyrgyzstan held a presidential election on 10 July 2005. It saw a landslide victory for acting President Kurmanbek Bakiev, marking the end of his interim government formed after the previous President, Askar Akayev, was overthrown in the revolution in March 2005.

On Thursday 24 March 2005, President Akayev fled the country as protesters overran government buildings. The Prime Minister Nikolai Tanayev also resigned within the same day creating a power vacuum. The constitution clearly states 'If the President becomes unable to carry out their duties for reasons such as death, illness or impeachment, the Prime Minister shall carry out their duties until the election of a new Head of State. This must take place within three months of the termination of their Presidency.' This therefore presented the Kyrgyz parliament with a legal problem. Ishenbai Kadyrbekov, the Speaker of Parliament immediately assumed power, unconstitutionally. The next day, opposition leader Kurmanbek Bakiyev was appointed Prime Minister and thus Interim President.

The interim period was one of increasing political tension and a breakdown in the rule of law. The new unicameral parliament - elected amid allegations of fraud - went into session on 22 March. However its mandate was revoked just two days later, with the Supreme Court declaring the old chamber the rightful body. This decision was then once more revoked by an agreement between the rival chambers. The "old" parliament dissolved itself, and the "new" parliament gained recognition as the legitimate body (although a number of individual seats remained in dispute and subject to review by courts). This drew some protests from people who argued that the uprising was in direct relation to the rigged election which had created the new legislature. Additionally Bermet Akayeva and other politicians were allowed to sit in the new chamber for a significant period, before also having their mandate's declared null and void.

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